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Forum topic by pashley | posted 11-16-2009 02:39 PM | 15069 views | 20 times favorited | 168 replies | ![]() |
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11-16-2009 02:39 PM |
Topic tags/keywords: website ok, very frustrated guy here. I’ve had my site open for about a year now, and have sold….nothing! Obviously, that is disappointing and frustrating to me. Especially since I have (what I think) is a good-looking and user friendly website, and products that are decent and fairly priced. I guess at least one of those ingredients is screwed up; what I think is correct really isn’t. But which one(s)? I’m not looking to make a living off this website, but God, I’d like to sell a couple of things a month for some extra money. Maybe people just don’t pay around $400 for a nice clock; maybe that price point is too little (see “$5,000....for a stationary box“) Whatever the issue is, product, price or website, I just don’t have the right formula in place to sell things. Other guys do it, I can too. I have a great idea for a cutting board (yes, yet another cutting board), that is more than your usual glued-up pieces of scrap; I can make them fairly quickly, as you can just glue up a bunch of scrap, say 18” long, and just slice of a 1” piece as a board (like slicing cheese), and then sex it up the way I’m thinking. But again, the question is…will it sell?! Can anyone comment on my site and stuff, and what might sell instead of what I have?! -- Have a blessed day! http://newmissionworkshop.com |
168 replies so far
#1 posted 11-16-2009 03:37 PM |
How many hits do you have every day and how does you site rank on the search engines? You will find out that there are a bunch of ways that you can increase your hits and that can pay off big time. It sounds like the woodworking part is done, now you may need to focus on the technical side. -- Hope Never fails |
#2 posted 11-16-2009 03:44 PM |
What sort of advertising are you doing? Word of mouth, links on other websites, etc? -- Life is a one lap race. |
#3 posted 11-16-2009 04:59 PM |
One of the things that “maybe” is not helping is that your website is listed as a Social Website and a lot of computers have security filters not allowing access to these. Keep sending the magazines photos and write ups on your work. There was an article in one of the mags recently about building a clock and named the company that sold the parts, the parts company is now back logged two months… -- Never board, always knotty, lots of growth rings |
#4 posted 11-16-2009 05:05 PM |
Your experience is “normal”. Most internet businesses fail. It is extremely difficult to start a business on the web without understanding how internet search engines work and building and maintaining your site to take advantage of the search algorithms. You’ve got a professional looking website and there is nothing wrong with your price point or quality but I’m guessing you’ve really done very little to market the site. I suggest you start your business as a merchant on eBay and Amazon.com. Just because you have found other clock sites on the web does not automatically equate to profits being made by the other sites. -- DaveH - Boise, Idaho - “How hard can it be? It's only wood!” |
#5 posted 11-16-2009 05:20 PM |
I’ve had a similar experience. I’ve seen lot’s of web sites and talked to lots of artist and I just have to conclude most of what we see is just smoke and mirrors. I’ve checked out the sales of people on ebay and esty and they are very low usually with very low prices. I think of them as hobby prices. They work out to about $5.00 an hour after constructions and sales. You will get lot’s of advice on how to do it right and I’m sorry I think most just works out to more ways to waste your time….now go out and do what I think can’t be done because I’m not following my own advice. Another show in May….maybe this one will be different. |
#6 posted 11-16-2009 05:26 PM |
http://webdesign.about.com/cs/promotion/a/aaaagoogle.htm http://articles.sitepoint.com/article/link-popularity-site http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/380758/generatingfreetraffichits3_tips.html http://searchenginewatch.com/webmasters -- Lew- Time traveler. Purveyor of the Universe's finest custom rolling pins. |
#7 posted 11-16-2009 05:45 PM |
Under the search term mission clocks> 3rd result on Yahoo Obviously, the big hangup is on Google. Kindlingmaker: I didn’t understand what you meant “is that your website is listed as a Social Website” – where do you see that? -- Have a blessed day! http://newmissionworkshop.com |
#8 posted 11-16-2009 05:49 PM |
Pashley, I went to website and read the woods you are using. The pictures are not doing you justice. Might want to consider having some professionally taken with a zoom to show them off more. The Keene is my favorite, but the tile detail isn’t able to be appreciated. It looks like dust on the top of it, although I know it is just reflected light. I think the price point is right and wording is good. You need some better pictures. Steve. |
#9 posted 11-16-2009 05:51 PM |
Steve, I take the pics myself. I’m using decent equipment – a Nikon D40 with a tripod, and outdoors lighting. I also use a white back drop that extends into the foreground – same as pros use. I’ve also shown the products in settings. What am I missing?! -- Have a blessed day! http://newmissionworkshop.com |
#10 posted 11-16-2009 05:52 PM |
- not to mention, I was the manager of a commercial photo lab, and I worked at Kodak – both for 4 years. -- Have a blessed day! http://newmissionworkshop.com |
#11 posted 11-16-2009 06:10 PM |
Patrick, Are you selling these locally, or just via the internet? I’m a little more fortunate in that I actually have a storefront to sell things out of. I don’t get a huge amount of foot traffic, but those that stop in usually pick up one or two things along with a business card. I’ve actually started approaching some small stores in the surrounding areas to either stock my things, or sell them on consignment. Word of mouth is my strongest advertising, I’d say 90% of all my business is done with referrals. The website is a great tool, but I think of it as only a small part of the overall plan to stay successful. You might want to search out some mission catalog companies that would showcase your work, its very impressive, sounds like it just needs that “spark” to get it selling the way you want. I’d say look at all your options not just the internet, with that said I do have you bookmarked to tell customers that are interested in Mission items. James -- James |
#12 posted 11-16-2009 06:20 PM |
James, I’ve been thinking about this; I don’t think you can appreciate the item unless you have it right in front of you, and agree, I should try to get it into some local stores. I live in a large area, Rochester, NY, so I should be able to find some stores! -- Have a blessed day! http://newmissionworkshop.com |
#13 posted 11-16-2009 06:50 PM |
Pashley, Please don’t take any offense to my comments about the pictures. I would not change the current ones at all, the settings are very complimentary to the clocks. It is just that the true wood and craftsmanship aren’t shown off as much. Your coffee table views are example of what I was commenting on for the clocks. The closeups of the end and tiles really give the person looking a feel for the piece. On the Keene, a closeup of the contrasting woods in one upper corner and closeup of the tile would be more information to the potential customer. Think about this; tell them in text what the exciting details are about your craftsmanship, show specific pictures that show those exciting details and then remind them in the price section about what they saw. Buyer may not know what in the world Paduak is or a reversed embossed ceramic tile. Couple closeups of them can put it in perspective. Steve. |
#14 posted 11-16-2009 07:12 PM |
James, like pashly said..get your products in some stores. Without my dealers I would be a sitting duck as far as the furniture end works. My cabinetry and design business is 63 years old inherited from my family..word of mouth from pleased customers, builders, and people riding by my shop supports that end of the business. -- Bruce Free Plans https://traditionalwoodworking.org |
#15 posted 11-16-2009 07:27 PM |
SteveMI: No offense taken, Bud; I guess I was like, “What else can I do?!” Agreed, about the closeups, especially of the Keene. Will do. bruc101: Having the actual piece in a store is also good for impulse buying too. The website, it seems, is more like an interactive business card, at least for what I’m doing. Maybe people won’t shell out this kind of money on a product sight unseen, and who can blame them? So I think my game plan will be to do a little tweaking on the website, in terms of the menu, and adding some close-up pics, and more importantly, getting the product in front of faces in the real world. -- Have a blessed day! http://newmissionworkshop.com |
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